(From Sketchbook) 1810 - 1820

Curator: This artwork is an ink drawing on paper, an intimate glimpse into Thomas Sully's sketchbook from around 1810 to 1820, now held at the Met. Editor: The sparseness of it hits me first—the stark ink on paper. There's a raw, almost vulnerable quality to the unfinished lines. It feels less like a study, more like catching fleeting thoughts. Curator: Yes, there's a remarkable immediacy to it. We see figures captured mid-gesture. Notice the one on the left, seemingly seated and embracing what appears to be a dog. The figure on the right is much more active, maybe caught in motion during a dance? Editor: Absolutely, that embrace feels protective, tender even. And then that other figure, so kinetic, like a spark ready to ignite. There’s an intriguing dichotomy—stillness and vibrant movement sharing the same space. It makes me wonder what Sully was contemplating, what mood he was trying to express here. Curator: Given its presence in a sketchbook, it is most probable that he was working out compositions for a larger canvas. We can look at it with the eye of romanticism with it’s fleeting gestures. The lines convey emotion through simple placement on the canvas. Editor: It is a work in progress which allows us, the viewers, to complete the composition using our minds. That quick line sketch is as thought-provoking as a final work. What appears unfinished is also an opportunity to start a fresh visual conversation with the artist. Curator: I concur. I think this unassuming work invites us to observe the world through the artist’s perceptive eyes. Editor: A perfect snapshot into a brilliant and creative artistic vision, don’t you think?